“You love me.” Becca pulled down the pillow as Lily got up from the bed. Her friend was smiling as if she’d won the lottery. It made Becca want to throw her pillow at her. Couldn’t she see that nothing was going to make this better? “Trust me, you doing anything other than moping around my new marital home is better than nothing. Hubby was starting to think he’d have to claim you on our income tax.”
Lily left the room laughing, but Becca didn’t have it in her to join in. She lay there and focused on a fleck of glitter embedded in the ceiling. Had she really been that bad this week that Steven had said what he did, even in jest? A part of her felt guilty for horning in on their first week back from their honeymoon, but wasn’t that what friends were for? She’d have done the same for Lily, if she’d been in this situation.
It wasn’t as if Becca hadn’t used this week to think about her life and what she was going to do with it. She’d decided to stick with the college plan and at least do something for herself in regards to a stable future. As for her personal life, Becca would just swear off men and ensconce herself within her studies until the pain faded away. Her only fear was that it wouldn’t.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Becca should have known that James would come to collect her this morning, considering he still felt obligated because her contract still had one week left. As she’d been getting ready, putting on jeans and a lightweight blue shirt that fit loosely around the arms, Lily had called from her work saying that she’d forgotten to say that a driver would be picking her up at nine-thirty. She really didn’t want to open the door and face him after he had witnessed her devastation, but she did just that, wanting to get this over with. To his credit, James hadn’t said a word when he collected her from Lane and Ross’s penthouse other than that Ms. Van Camp would be in touch. He hadn’t said much this morning, either, other than the fact they needed to make one quick stop before heading to Ms. Van Camp’s office.
“Ms. Schuler, I’ll be right back.”
Becca nodded her head in response, although really hadn’t been paying attention to their location until she looked up. They were in front of The Point. Who would be here this early in the morning and what business did James have with them? Becca clenched her hands together, knowing that if she saw either Lane or Ross come out with James, she’d—well, she wasn’t sure what she would do, but it wouldn’t be good. She gave a sigh of relief when James escorted a woman out of the building and toward the vehicle. Recognition dawned. It was Suzanne, the sub that had misbehaved over a month ago.
James opened the back door of the town car and ushered Suzanne inside. Once she was situated, James closed them in and proceeded to position himself back in the driver’s seat. As he put the car in drive, Becca looked over at Suzanne.
“Good morning.”
“Morning,” Suzanne said, followed by a yawn. “Sorry. Not used to being up this early, but when Ms. Van Camp calls, you make sure you’re available. Hey, Jamesy, could we stop off at that coffee shop I like? I’m in need of some caffeine—bad.”
Becca swung her gaze to where the rear view mirror contained James’s reflection. He had a smirk on his face, presumably at Suzanne’s nickname for him. He allowed that?
“Sure. We have an extra ten minutes to kill.”
“Jamesy?” Becca whispered to Suzanne. “Do you have a death wish? First, Master Owen and now James? Aren’t you afraid your contract will be terminated?”
“What?” Suzanne looked over at her in surprise. “I’m not being rude. I just couldn’t resist giving James a nickname. He’s such a big teddy bear underneath that gruff exterior. He just doesn’t want anyone to know it.”
Becca glanced over the seat to where she could see James’s hand on the steering wheel. The scars that marred his skin suggested anything else but a teddy bear, but who was Becca to argue. Sure, James had been sweet and kind in his own way, but it wasn’t like he was the kind of man to bestow hugs and kisses in sympathy.
“And what do you mean by Master Owen?”
“Oh. I just—well, I saw you a while back at the club. You were talking back to him. He, ah, gave you a punishment.”
Suzanne’s laugh filled the car. “Master Owen would be bored to tears if any of his subs followed orders. Now, when Sir Landon is in the picture, that’s a different story. Which is probably why they’ll never have a permanent sub, because they can never agree on what they need out of her.”
“So you’re not their—”
“Fuck, no,” Suzanne replied, still chuckling. Becca wasn’t sure she got the humor out of this conversation, but managed to lift her lips in what hopefully appeared a smile. “Sir Landon would get on my last nerve if we had to live together twenty-four seven. He can be a downright asshole. Now, Master Owen is a different story, but it’s not like I can have one without the other, which is why I put in my application with Safeword LLC. I’m ready for a stable relationship.”
“Be back in five,” James said, placing the car in park in front of a little café on the corner of an intersection. “Ms. Schuler, would you care for anything?”
“Um, no, thank you.” Becca was so nervous about her upcoming meeting with Ms. Van Camp, she was sure anything that she put down her stomach would just be thrown out.
“You rock, Jamesy,” Suzanne yelled out before he closed the door. They watched him sprint across the sidewalk and into the coffee shop. “He’s a good guy. If it weren’t for him, I’d have probably killed Sir Landon by now.”
“What do you mean? And aren’t you afraid that James will tell Landon that you called him an asshole?” Becca had forced herself to drop the titles. She wasn’t in the lifestyle right now, so she could get away with it. She pushed aside the niggling of guilt that crept up at her conscious snub.
“Girl, you are way too uptight.” Suzanne turned to face her, making herself comfortable against the door. “Sir Landon can be a little brash at times and he always thinks he’s right. The first time I went to their weekend home, a couple of vases were broken. He immediately blamed me and said I did it to garner their attention.” She held up her hands as if in surrender. “Yeah, I like to receive certain punishments. I can be a bit of a masochist, but that doesn’t make me a bad person. Anyway, I defended myself and ended up calling James. He immediately came out and took the time to interview the staff, because by that time, Sir Landon was too busy administering my punishment. Boy, can he handle a whip.”
Suzanne’s eyes became unfocused, as it was obvious her mind had gone back to a pleasurable time for her. Becca shuddered, knowing that if it was anything like the punishment she had received from Harrison, she wanted no part in it. Why would Suzanne have stayed if Landon thought she was the type of person to lie? Come to think of it, she’d only been with Owen at the club.
“So are you only involved with Owen now? I don’t blame you. Trust is a two-way street. I don’t want to be with anyone who thinks I’m a liar, cheat, and basically a bad person. Did James ever find out who damaged their property?”
“Yeah, James found out and we all had a good laugh over it.” Suzanne gave her a quizzical look. “Are you always this neurotic? Of course I’m still available to Sir Landon. Master Owen rescued a couple of cats, that’s all. Turns out that they are a little energetic. Like I said, we all got a chuckle out of it. It’s just Sir Landon’s personality that makes him bark first and ask questions later.”
James chose that moment to return with Suzanne’s coffee, effectively pulling her attention to the warm contents of the Styrofoam cup. She basically confessed her undying love to James for having thrown in extra sugar and cream, and then sat back and enjoyed her concoction. The rest of the trip was made in silence, although Suzanne’s words kept repeating in Becca’s head. Doubt started to creep in and she wondered if she hadn’t overreacted, but then immediately dismissed that idea. A broken vase was totally different than Lane and Ross thinking she had sold them out.
“You know, no one is perfect,” Suzanne said as J
ames pulled the vehicle into the parking garage. “But if trust is a two-way street, then so is forgiveness.”
* * * *
“My apologies on your placement not working out.” Ms. Van Camp was leaning against her desk with a file in her hand. She held it out for Becca to take. “After having discussed things with Lane and Ross, I took it upon myself to have James look into things. I pride myself on choosing reputable applicants that best suit my clients’ needs, so it was important to me that your name be cleared.”
Becca took the folder and placed it in her lap. She was almost afraid to open it and look at the contents inside, for fear it would not justify her initial reaction. But then, nothing should take that away from her. They thought she had sold them out. Nothing had hurt more than that and she’d had every right to walk away. Right? Suzanne’s words were like a nagging gnat that wouldn’t stop flying around.
“Don’t get me wrong, Rebecca. You certainly don’t have to read it, but I thought it might clear up things. Anyway, I guess my question to you is how was your introduction to the lifestyle?” Ms. Van Camp stood and walked around her desk to take a seat in her black leather office chair. “Was it everything you’d hoped it to be? The reason I ask is that technically you have one week left on your original contract. Would you like for me to find you other Dominants for the remainder of your time?”
“What? No!” Becca shifted in her seat, now wishing she’d worn something nicer than jeans. Ms. Van Camp had a way of making a woman feel vulnerable in her presence. “I couldn’t be with anyone else after Lane and Ross.”
“That surprises me. If that’s the case, why run?”
“Run? I didn’t run,” Becca said in protest. “I ended it based on the fact that they don’t trust me.”
“A knee-jerk reaction,” Ms. Van Camp said with a wave of her hand. “It happens to the best of us. Just as Lane’s reaction was involuntary. I mean, the evidence certainly did point to you, and can you imagine what he must have felt like, thinking that you’d betrayed them? Oh well, you both seem to respond so passionately to things that it’s best if you go your separate ways.”
Ms. Van Camp kept talking, but Becca tuned her out as she was now putting herself into Lane’s shoes. He’d been so hurt and angry at the thought that she’d betrayed them, that maybe she did react too quickly. If he hadn’t cared for her, would he have had the same reaction? Becca couldn’t stop herself from opening the folder that sat in her lap. The picture that was attached to the paper took her by surprise. It was Jimmy, the driver that Lane and Ross utilized when they needed to be chauffeured. She scanned the details, amazed that he’d capitalized on a few tidbits of information that he’d overheard.
“Rebecca?”
“Oh. I–I’m sorry.” Becca closed the file and then placed it on Ms. Van Camp’s desk. “What are the rules regarding the safe word you provided?”
“I’m sorry, you’ll have to clarify your question. What exactly are you referring to?”
“Is it against the rules for me to see Lane and Ross once I’ve said my safe word?”
“And why would you want to do that?” Ms. Van Camp leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. Becca felt like a child having been sent to the principal’s office to explain why she’d gotten into a tiff with another girl. “I was under the impression that you wanted nothing more to do with them. After all, didn’t you mention something about them not trusting you after everything you had shared?”
“And what if I made a mistake?” Becca asked. She couldn’t sit any longer, so she stood up and started to pace.
“Then you’d apologize just like we’ve tried to do for a week.”
Becca spun toward the door, heart racing at the sound of Ross’s voice. He and Lane stood in the doorway looking as striking as they always did in their three-piece suits. What were they doing here?
“You’ve lost weight,” Lane said, his disapproval shining through. Ross turned and gave him a look. “What? You can’t see it? She needs to eat.”
“What Lane is trying to say is that we still care for you very much, Becca. We were wrong to accuse you of selling us out and would like a second chance, if you’re willing to give us one.”
“You’re killing me,” Lane muttered, pushing past Ross. He came to stand directly in front of her, taking her shoulders in her hands and making sure her attention was on him. “I fucked up. Royally. Ross tried to make me see reason, but I was too clouded with the pain it caused me to think that you would betray us like that. After seeing your face and hearing you utter that damn word, which I hope will never be repeated again, I knew I’d made a mistake. I just didn’t know how to go about fixing it. We don’t just care about you, Becca. We love you. And then after you left, you wouldn’t take our phone calls. And Lily, hell, don’t even get me started on her. She’s—”
“Veering off course, brother.”
Becca felt the stinging sensation in her eyes, indicating it was useless to try to hold back her tears. “Lily was just looking out for me. She’s the one who talked me into coming here today. Can you repeat what you just said?”
“Well, then, maybe she’s not so bad,” Lane said, although she could see it cost him. “But that woman could work for—”
“He said we love you, Becca.” Ross walked over to them. Lane dropped one hand and allowed Ross to sneak a hand underneath her hair, tilting her face up to his. “Relationships aren’t perfect, especially ones that live within our lifestyle, just like we tried to teach you about your behavior. But we can learn from our mistakes. Allow us the chance to learn, Becca, just as we’ve permitted you. Don’t shut us out.”
“I’m sorry I ran out,” Becca whispered, leaning up on her tiptoes to close the distance between them. She kissed Ross on the lips and then did the same with Lane. She looked up at them through her lashes. “I should have stayed and talked things over with you. I’ve felt a lot of different emotions over our time together, but it was never as bad as the heartache I felt being without you. When I’m with you, my senses go on overload. If I know you’ve had a bad day, all I want to do is fix it. When you take me to the club, I treasure that I’m the one you’ve chosen and want everyone to know that I belong to you. Everything I see and touch reminds me of the two of you and what you’ve given me. If that’s love, then I love you both more than I could ever put into words. Please forgive me for running away.”
“As heartwarming as this is, I do have appointments that I need to keep. I take it that I’ll see the three of you next week for your final appointment?”
Becca shifted and looked over at Ms. Van Camp. Although her words bespoke impatience and sarcasm, the way her lips tilted up in a half smile indicated the opposite. The woman was definitely hard to read, but her satisfaction shone through like a stretched-out cat basking in the sun. She’d kept her track record in regards to a successful placement and being able to read applicants.
Lane and Ross both nodded, while Becca went to retrieve her purse. Not giving herself time to think and therefore not taking the chance of changing her mind, Becca walked up to Ms. Van Camp and gave her a hug. The surprise on her face was evident, and although she didn’t return Becca’s gesture, she also didn’t pull away.
“I know this was all a setup,” Becca whispered. She’d figured that out after having seen Suzanne giving James a wink as they got out of the vehicle. “But thank you—for everything.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ross finished securing Becca’s wrists in the cuffs attached to the support chain of the customized swing he’d set up a while ago. Two black leather straps were wrapped around her thighs and attached to their own support chains. These supported the majority of her weight while allowing them access to her pussy. He’d fastened her sitting upright with her wrists over her head to ensure that he’d be able to take her from behind as well with no interference. They’d set aside this evening to claim her together, front and back simultaneously.
“Not too tight?” he asked as h
e slipped a finger inside each cuff to check the fit.
“No,” Becca said, a slight tremble in her voice. It got him every time and his cock hardened a little more. “It’s fine.”
“I left enough room on the chain to give you something to hold on to,” Ross explained, moving around, letting her rest her back against his chest. She yelped when his hand landed on her ass. “Have you forgotten everything we’ve taught you already?”
“No, Sir, I was just—”
“Maybe we need to start at square one,” Lane replied, taking a stance in front of them. He held a small slapper in his hand. Starting slow, Lane started to tap the inside of her thighs, causing a staccato beat through the air. Becca arched her back, using his chest as leverage. “Repeat after me. You will not hesitate to follow an order.”
“I will not hesitate to follow your orders, Sir.” Becca was a little breathless as Lane continued to gradually heat up her skin using light taps.
“Your eyes should be on us at all times.”
“My eyes should be on you at all times, Sir,” Becca said, seemingly not realizing that she was now tilting her lower body into Lane’s strikes.
“You will always refer to us as Sir when we are in a scene.”
“I will always call you by your titles, Sir.” Becca had widened her legs in an apparent need for the slapper to get closer to her pussy. Ross knew that Lane wouldn’t make contact with her clit until she was ready.
“You will never leave us again without first talking through our issues.”
“I will never leave you again without talking through our issues, Sir.” Becca threw her head back against his shoulder as Lane started to work on her breasts. The smacking sound was lessoning as her moans and cries rose in volume. He ran a hand underneath her and found her soaked. “Please, Sirs. Do something.”
“Is that your pussy? Do you get to decide when she is given release?”
The First Order [Safeword LLC 1] (Siren Publishing Sensations) Page 17